PATRIOTS NOTEBOOK: Bills have gone 0-for-Gillette

Losers of 19 of the last 20 games in their series with the Patriots, the Buffalo Bills have never won at Gillette Stadium. The Bills’ last victory over the Pats in Foxboro occurred in the year 2000, Bill Belichick’s first season as head coach.

By Glen Farley

The Enterprise, Brockton, MA

By Glen Farley

Posted Dec. 27, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Dec 27, 2013 at 12:25 PM

By Glen Farley

Posted Dec. 27, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Dec 27, 2013 at 12:25 PM

FOXBORO

» Social News

Doug Marrone knows he has a difficult task in front of him.

On Sunday, the Buffalo Bills’ rookie head coach will be doing what a handful of head coaches before him were unable to do.

Win a game at Gillette Stadium.

“We have a very difficult challenge, obviously. It’s not a secret,” said Marrone, who will lead his 6-9 team into Gillette to face the 11-4 Patriots in the two teams’ 2013 regular-season finale. “We haven’t won up there in the new stadium. We’re playing an outstanding football team. They’ve been an outstanding football team for quite some time and it’s a great challenge for us and we’ve got to be ready.”

Losers of 19 of the last 20 games in their series with the Patriots, the last time the Bills defeated their AFC East division rivals in Foxboro was on Nov. 5, 2000, Bill Belichick’s first season as head coach, at a stadium that is no longer standing.

Steve Christie’s third field goal of the day, a 32-yarder in overtime, lifted Wade Phillips’ Bills to a 16-13 victory in which Doug Flutie complete 18 of 37 passes for 179 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions.

Three different players – Drew Bledsoe, Jon Friesz and Michael Bishop – all played quarterback for the Patriots in that game.

Since then, Bills teams coached by Gregg Williams, Mike Mularkey, Dick Jauron and Chan Gailey have all come to Foxboro and lost, a span of 12 straight games that includes 11 at Gillette Stadium.